Let $a$, $b$, $c$ be the three sides of a triangle, and let $\alpha$, $\beta$, $\gamma$ be the angles opposite them. If $a^2+b^2=1989c^2$, find the value of
\[\frac{\cot \gamma}{\cot \alpha+\cot \beta}.\]
Solution: We can write
\begin{align*}
\frac{\cot \gamma}{\cot \alpha + \cot \beta} &= \frac{\frac{\cos \gamma}{\sin \gamma}}{\frac{\cos \alpha}{\sin \alpha} + \frac{\cos \beta}{\sin \beta}} \\
&= \frac{\sin \alpha \sin \beta \cos \gamma}{\sin \gamma (\cos \alpha \sin \beta + \sin \alpha \cos \beta)}
&= \frac{\sin \alpha \sin \beta \cos \gamma}{\sin \gamma \sin (\alpha + \beta)} \\
&= \frac{\sin \alpha \sin \beta \cos \gamma}{\sin^2 \gamma}.
\end{align*}By the Law of Sines,
\[\frac{a}{\sin \alpha} = \frac{b}{\sin \beta} = \frac{c}{\sin \gamma},\]so
\[\frac{\sin \alpha \sin \beta \cos \gamma}{\sin^2 \gamma} = \frac{ab \cos \gamma}{c^2}.\]By the Law of Cosines,
\[\frac{ab \cos \gamma}{c^2} = \frac{a^2 + b^2 - c^2}{2c^2} = \frac{1989c^2 - c^2}{2c^2} = \boxed{994}.\]